To what extent KU Leuven’s learning community is successful at reducing

the level of alienation among students.

Ayatallah Elshafey r0731769

Karina Bissenova r0726517

Malika Anuarbekova r0731552

Nourhan Armoush r0732228

Tetiana Shpyleva r0730161

Ruyi Zhou r0776287

Research Methods 2  HBA14c 

Practical Research Assignment

KU Leuven, Campus Brussels

Academic Year 2019 - 2020

Professor Dr. Alea Fairchild

 Table of Contents

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Objective of the study ................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Hypothesis..................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Theoretical and practical application ........................................................................................... 2

2. Theoretical background ...................................................................................................................... 2

2.1. Literature review .......................................................................................................................... 2

3. Method ................................................................................................................................................ 4
3.1. Purpose of the research ................................................................................................................ 4
3.2. Data Collection ............................................................................................................................ 4
3.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................................................. 5
3.4. Limitations ................................................................................................................................... 5

4. Results ................................................................................................................................................. 5
4.1. Results related to the sub-problem “Is KU Leuven’s current teaching techniques such as the
“block” learning community (four or five common courses followed by the same people) effective
in cultivating a feeling of belonging?” ................................................................................................ 5
4.2. Results related to the sub-problem “Is a teaching technique such as group work effective in
reducing alienation?” .......................................................................................................................... 7
4.3. Results related to the sub-problem “Does KU Leuven’s curricular integration allow practical
application of theoretical knowledge obtained in classes?” ................................................................ 8
4.4. Results related to the sub-problem “Is there a relationship between a student’s perception of the
level of classroom interaction and academic performance?’ ............................................................ 10
4.5. Results related to the sub-problem “Does continuous assessment have an influence on students’
habit of monitoring their learning progress and level of alienation?”............................................... 13

5. Discussions and conclusions ............................................................................................................. 15

References ............................................................................................................................................. 18

Annex .................................................................................................................................................... 18
 1

Abstract

Alienation has become a widespread problem for learning communities. Alienated students
experience numerous problems which negatively affect their academic performance. This paper
analyzes how teaching techniques and learning community in KU Leuven can be improved in order to
lower students’ level of alienation and avert academic failure. For this purpose, 25 second-year
students from KU Leuven have been selected through convenient sampling and interviewed in regard
to five core practices of a learning community. Results revealed that students do not feel separated
from KU Leuven’s learning environment in most cases. They enjoy attending classes in cohorts,
interacting with teachers, fellow students, and participating in group projects. Only a minority
struggles with adapting to a learning community but it is mostly due to individual factors. However,
according to the feedback of students, a lack of continuous assessment such as midterm exams makes
it harder for them to monitor their study progress and does not motivate them to attend classes.
Although the university is relatively successful in reducing the level of alienation, there are still
various techniques to be improved. This study emphasizes that students could achieve higher
academic performance by having more continuous assessments and compulsory attendance.

1. Introduction

This research is aimed to find out the ways in which KU Leuven’s teaching techniques can be
improved for effectively decreasing students’ level of alienation. Although a growing number of
universities have started to implement various learning community models, alienation in the field of
education remains an acute problem. There is mounting evidence that alienated students are passive
learners, with low level of involvement in the learning process, and poor attendance rate. As isolation
and loneliness has a detrimental effect on students’ academic achievement, it is important to
understand the underlying reasons and develop strategies for the prevention of academic failure.
Therefore, the primary question of our research is to determine to which extent KU Leuven’s learning
community is successful at reducing the level of alienation among students.

1.1 Objective of the study

The primary and secondary data used for the solution of the research problem is the experience of
KU Leuven students obtained through structured interviews of a representative sample, course pass
rates statistics, KU Leuven’s educational policy and academic curriculum. The sub-problems
examined within the scope of this research are as follows:

1. What is the relationship between the academic performance and the level of alienation?
2. Is KU Leuven’s current teaching techniques such as the “block” learning community (four or
five common courses followed by the same people) effective in cultivating a feeling of
belonging?
3. Does KU Leuven’s curricular integration allow practical application of theoretical knowledge
obtained in classes?
4. Is a teaching technique such as group work effective in reducing alienation?
 2

5. Is there a relationship between a student’s perception of the level of classroom interaction and
academic performance?
6. Does continuous assessment influence on students’ habit of monitoring their learning
progress and level of alienation?

1.2 Hypothesis

KU Leuven’s learning community is unsuccessful in reducing the level of alienation among

students.
The alternative hypothesis is based on the evaluation and the comparison of KU Leuven’s current
teaching techniques with practices that have proven to be more effective.
For example, one of the methods implemented by KU Leuven is a compulsory block learning
community, i.e., students attend four or five classes in the same cohort. However, a substantial
amount of research shows that this method negatively affects students’ sense of belonging as they feel
like it is “too much like high school”. Moreover, compulsory enrollment and absence of choice lead to
low attendance as students cannot adjust their schedules, which results in even higher alienation level.

1.3. Theoretical and practical application

Theoretically and practically, the knowledge generated from this research provides a useful insight
into the weaknesses of the currently used practices of learning communities at KU Leuven. In the
research, not only the areas for the further improvement of the academic curricular are highlighted,
but alternative teaching techniques for interactive learning are suggested. If the reforms are
implemented successfully, students will become more engaged in the learning process and have a
better sense of belonging to a community. This, in turn, will lead to a higher attendance rate and
enhanced academic performance, which can potentially increase KU Leuven’s student retention and
graduation rates.

2. Theoretical background

2.1. Literature review

Throughout the past decades, learning communities are being prioritized by teaching associations. It
can be best defined as co-enrolling students in two or more courses ensuring that students see one
another frequently and spend a substantial amount of time engaged in common intellectual activities
(Zhao & Kuh, 2004). Due to their academic and social features, participants of the community get to
achieve a higher level of study effectiveness and social development. Inside a community, may it be
in-person or on a virtual platform, students learn from each other, share ideas and results, and deal
with both intellectual and personal challenges. Since the final goal of a learning community is
students’ academic success, it is of high importance to make an environment healthy and carefully
structured. Only in learning communities of good quality, can students attain improvements in
academic performance. For this purpose, practices for learning communities have been developed.
Even though community structures may vary depending on different course specifications or ethnic
composition of the students, a model with five core practices is usually used.
 3

Collaborative learning is a practice where students always attend class in the same groups with
common courses. As described by Tinto (2005), this technique requires additional classroom
arrangements, but makes students more responsible, active, and engaged in a curriculum. Integrated
curriculum is focused on connecting subjects with similar concept and application of theoretical
background obtained during one course in another subject or project. When two subjects share the
same objectives and topics, they can be integrated. The courses are taught by different professors, but
the materials of both subjects complement one another, and students usually write one integrated test.
Brownell & Swanner (2009) reckon that this approach contributes to the learning environment
success due to its practical and logistical benefits. The most common example of integration practice
is when a theoretical course is linked to the practical course with relatively same concept and idea.
Diversity is related to a social pillar of learning community but at the same time is aimed at
diversification of the learning process. Smith et al. (2004) believe it can be achieved using different
pedagogical strategies as experiential learning, giving students room for dialogues and discussion or
stimulating them to collaborate with each other. Cultural diversity of the student society develops
critical thinking skills and teaches students to analyze a problem from multiple perspectives due to
cultural perception differences. Various backgrounds of students and usage of diverse pedagogies
build up one of the most efficient learning communities.

Active learning is also a popular and extensively used practice, which goal is to increase
engagement of students in class. Active learning also includes workshops, leadership and
communication training, in-class debates and games, after-class quizzes, and conducting research.
Furthermore, it is highly appreciated by students as it helps them be more involved in a learning
process, thus, prepare for examinations more easily. “Assessment and reflection are the practices that
raise awareness of the learning process and strengthen capacity to learn” (Evins & Boyer-Pennington,
2015). However, both need to be done continuously during the whole academic year and not only
right before the end-of-year assessments. No previous methods of study practice would contribute to
the success of learning communities unless students monitor their studies and what they actually
retained in class. Reflection is an important part of communities that focuses on team projects and
study groups. Teachers develop several reflective assignments per semester so that students could
evaluate their studies precisely and on multiple domains at the same time. Not only does the
evaluation concern students’ achievements, but it also reflects on their teaching quality, workload, or
content of the course. In addition, assessment is a similar concept to reflection but usually it is a
graded test on the syllabus of the course in terms of assignments or papers. Moreover, it helps
students check their knowledge, and it also aids teachers to have an overview on gaps in their
students’ knowledge. Assessments intend to make students more actively involved in learning and
catch up with the material they could simply skip. Such mid-term assignments or exams are good
stimulators for academic maturity of the students.

A learning community has multiple advantages, however, not every individual may feel accepted
into it. When some of the core practices are underperformed or some of the aspects of teaching
techniques are ignored, it can lead to a phenomenon called alienation. Alienation refers, in the most
general sense, to isolation and withdrawal from an environment, people, a social group, or the society
 4

with which one interacts (Öztürk & Öksüz, 2017, p.1). According to professor Newmann (1981),
there are four dimensions of student alienation: powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, and
social isolation. All the dimensions negatively affect academic performance and even cause high
dropout rates. The sense of powerlessness arises from the student’s belief that he lacks personal
control over his own affairs in the education institution, that he is being manipulated by teachers and
administrators, "the system," and that there is little he can do to influence his future in school or
university (Hoy, 1972). When a person treats knowledge gained during classes as irrelevant, he may
feel a sense of meaninglessness. Absence of satisfactory expectations in regard to the future and the
belief that education will not help with achieving goals, demotivates students and makes them think
their studies are useless. Normlessness involves a rejection of dominant cultural values and rules, and
in a learning environment, means that students find it difficult to relate to assessment rules and
regulations (Mcphee, 2014, p.3). Social isolation is referred to sense of loneliness and separation from
teachers or fellow students. Mostly it is the fault of teachers and the administration. Whereas former
refuse in interaction with class and are not keen on providing feedback, latter fail to create a
hospitable environment for students who are newbies to a freshly formed society and have different
backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and religions.

3. Method

3.1. Purpose of the research

This research attempts to obtain insight on the ways teaching and education can be adapted to
stimulate a learning community and makes students become more heard and less hesitant. This is
achieved through investigating students’ feeling of belonging within the learning communities of KU
Leuven. This includes examining the group assignments and the student bonding as well as the
perceptive and actual effectiveness of curricular arrangement.

3.2. Data Collection

Since this research seeks in-depth information, qualitative research method is preferred. Structured
interview was, therefore, used as a data collection method. After setting up the interview protocol,
seven open interview questions relating to the research subject were structured in a systematic order.
In terms of the criteria for sample selecting, diversity is more preferable regarding to this research
question. This can be helpful to increase the reliability and trustworthiness of the results, making the
research more valid. There were 25 participants selected through convenience sampling, including
both male and female, and all of them are 2nd year students who are currently studying at KU
Leuven. In addition, interviewees come from different countries and have different ethnic and cultural
backgrounds. One-to-one and face-to-face interviews were conducted at KU Leuven, campus
Brussels. An informed consent from the participants was obtained prior to the interview and the
conversations were recorded for capturing more precise information and details.
 5

3.3 Data analysis

Since thematic analysis is usually applied to a set of texts, it was used in this research as a technique
to analyze the qualitative data, which is the interview transcript. A six-step process of the most
common approach to conduct thematic analysis was followed, which consists of familiarization,
coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing up. Based on
the theory, the audio that was recorded during the interview was transcribed first, in order to obtain a
thorough overview of all the information collected. Secondly, the main information obtained from
each interview answer was highlighted and summarized into short sentences. Next, similar
information from the same question given by different participants were combined into one single
theme. Each theme was then named and defined after checking their usefulness and accuracy. In the
end, the conclusion was drawn, indicating how the results have answered the research question.

3.4. Limitations

The method used in this research has a number of limitations. For instance, the data collection
method used in this research was structured interview, which is an interview with a fixed list of
questions, and has no possibility to go deeper into the topic and collect richer data. Thus, the data was
insufficient for establishing the causal relationship between the independent variable (alienation) and
dependent variables. In comparison, semi-structured interview would be more effective since it has
more flexibility with adjusting questions. Another limitation of the data collection method is the high
risk of interviewer bias. Firstly, the interviewer could consciously or unconsciously influence the
participant’s answers. Secondly, there was only one interviewer per person, thus there could be issues
with reaching a consensus and an objective interpretation of the data. Furthermore, the sample used in
this research does not have a high representativeness percentage due to convenience sampling and
small size. Therefore, the results of the study have low external validity.

4. Results

Results are presented according to the sub-problems of the study.

4.1. Results related to the sub-problem “Is KU Leuven’s current teaching techniques such as the
“block” learning community (four or five common courses followed by the same people)
effective in cultivating a feeling of belonging?”

Firstly, to understand the different parts of a learning community like teaching and the education
system, people should delve deeper into the social development of students. The first question that
was put forward allowed students to answer and explain whether attending classes with the same
group of people helps with the feeling of belonging to a community. The data indicates that 20 out of
25 interviewees answered positively as they felt that attending the same classes with the same people
certainly makes them feel part of the community. One of the main reasons that were mentioned in the
interviews is the annihilation of discomfort. Studying in the same cohort created a more comforting
environment, where people can ask questions and feel less scared of being judged. In addition, it is
highly likely that being face-to-face with the same group of people on a daily basis makes it easier for
 6

shy people to step out of their shell and contribute to class. This was further elaborated by interviewee
6 when she mentioned that instead of “sitting in the corner, not talking to anyone,” being part of a
fixed community helped her “answer the professor more and ask questions even” which she would
not have done in another situation. In addition, being surrounded by familiar faces supports the idea of
exchanging notes and helping each other if a group mate is behind in a subject or does not understand
a specific topic. Fellow peers can “meet outside of classes and dig in the material more,” as
mentioned through the data collected, specifically by interviewee 4, which allows each student to not
only build a better social life, but also share different study perspectives and increase their study
efficiency. Through motivation, comfort, interaction, engagement, and sharing the same goals existent
in a lecture, students will be able to establish a dynamic and social environment. Through the data
collected, it can be concluded that the smaller group in the second year of Bachelor of Business
Administration (BBA) than in BBA1 resulted in a more successful establishment of the community as
people find it easier to approach their fellow classmates.

However, the rest of the participants interviewed opposed the idea of a community or thought there
were few efforts from the university to build a tight community for its students. It was mentioned that
even though there might be a ‘community’ present in the university, they do not feel a part of it. It is
probable that the reason behind that is “because we don’t have any events” and “the lectures are in a
big hall, so it’s hard to interact with people,” which was mentioned by interviewee 3. Also, some of
the interviewees mentioned that they might feel isolated because of their personality types where they
are more on the introverted side and prefer to sit alone. It was stated by interviewee 2 that despite
sharing the class with the same people is “comforting,” she cannot “connect with the same
classmates” and thinks it is an “internal problem and nothing the university can do about it.” The data
collected suggests that students with introverted personality do not need an extensive involvement
into learning community as they prefer to lead an isolated life. On the other hand, extraverts may
encounter problems with a poor quality of learning communities. Overall it can be concluded that
students’ perception of the learning community depends on both situational and individual factors.

The majority of the students interviewed suggested that it would be more effective and efficient to
be divided into small cohorts of 15-20 people. This provides an opportunity for professors to know all
of their students personally, engage students more during the class by directing questions and asking
personal opinions. Lecturers can organize different group activities during their lessons. Moreover,
as there is a determined amount of people in the class, students will have to get into contact with each
other and keep maintaining good relationships. A common example given by the students was the
professor of KU Leuven - Maarten Hulselmans, who teaches English courses, always organizes
debates, group discussions and presentations. By aiming to achieve the same goals and results,
students engage in collaborative learning. Through shared knowledge and responsibility, there is a
high probability of establishing good relationships with the group mates. Although some students are
not friends outside of the class, alienated students will no longer feel isolated during the class.
 7

4.2. Results related to the sub-problem “Is a teaching technique such as group work effective in
reducing alienation?”

Secondly, to tackle the issue of engagement throughout students’ university experience, one should
establish a relationship between group assignments, student bonding, and education. A question was
directed at the interviewees to explain whether they preferred cooperating with their fellow classmates
or individual work. The data collected indicates that roughly eight out of the 25 interviewees enjoyed
working in groups. Most of the interviewees agreed that having group work is crucial when it comes
to the aspect of creativity and obtaining new ideas. As interviewee 13 mentioned, “You can get ideas
from other people, or if you say your ideas, other people might try to better them,” which stresses the
point that people might really benefit from their group-mates’ different viewpoints and perspectives
when it comes to group assignments as opposed to being stuck on one methodology that comes with
working individually. Moreover, there is a possibility that students prefer group work since it
decreases the pressure and allows people to get to know each other. The pressure of deadlines and
amount of workload is a part of every student’s life. Thus, students prefer not to carry this burden
alone. For instance, interviewee 13 also stated that “working alone, I feel like, is too much work,” and
that she preferred cooperating on assignments with her group-mates since she not only gets to know
more people around the university, but also shares the responsibility with them. In addition, according
to the data, interviewees also emphasized the importance of group work when it comes to acquiring
team-work skills and social skills relevant to their everyday life. Interviewee 23 mentioned that group
assignments help “level up your teamwork skills,” which is applicable in a real-life situation.

About six interviewees, on the other hand, gave mixed answers where they mentioned that they
usually preferred to work alone, but they have recently found themselves trying to cooperate with
other people. Through the data collected, one of the reasons could be that they were able to choose
team members they trust and guarantee they would be hard workers. Interviewee 18 explained that
she only likes to work in groups if she is able to “choose her team,” and is “confident they’ll be able
to do their job,” which emphasizes how important university work is to students and how they
prioritize feeling confident of their work and their group members when it comes to working in a
team. Interviewee 2 also added to the previous claim by saying that “she would love some help on
group assignments… if they take it seriously,” which further stresses the importance of trusting team
members with the work. In addition to choosing team members, interviewee 1 mentioned that the
reason behind her efforts to work in groups in spite that she prefers to work alone is that “in the real
world, we are going to work with other people”.

However, data revealed that the rest of the interviewees were against group assignments. The main
reason for that was a difficulty of coordination and that group work is very time consuming. They
argued that group work is inefficient since it takes too much time to meet up with their group and
organize the work. Interviewee 10 mentioned that “sometimes it takes a lot of time from me, and it is
very stressful” when asked whether he enjoys working with groups and coordinating tasks. It is
possible that individual work might be easier for some people since they can just work on their tasks
immediately without relying on others. Also, interviewee 4 stated that she avoids group work because
“communication issues might arise…some people can get angry,” and “it’s hard to keep calm,” and
 8

she also shared her thoughts that group work cannot be successful unless the members try to
“understand each other.” One possible approach that can help people feel more comfortable with
working in a group is allowing them a relatively long-time span where people can work together and
have enough time to coordinate their work without stressing about a short time limit. Less stress will
also help improve communication and ease the tension between peers. Lastly, professors should also
consider giving a chance for their students to choose their team members, so they would be motivated
to work harder. Also, the university should also work to help students with understanding and
coordinating their work, especially since most students have little previous experience with task
coordination. Providing group assignments that have a direct link to the courses taught at the
university would also be a very helpful tool for students to take on new skills.

4.3. Results related to the sub-problem “Does KU Leuven’s curricular integration allow
practical application of theoretical knowledge obtained in classes?”

To assess the effectiveness of curricular integration such as practical application of theoretical

knowledge, same interviewees were asked the question of whether they think Management project 1
(MP1) allowed them to apply theoretical knowledge obtained during classes. 92% of second year KU
Leuven students said that they did not need any theoretical knowledge for passing MP1, due to the
fact that this course does not require it at all. Therefore, their answers were negative. Students had to
organize any type of event outside of the university in order to pass this course. The majority of
interview participants claimed that they applied their personal skills, knowledge from high school and
relied on luck. First year classes had no impact on actual task of MP1 course. Interviewee13 said that
he failed most of his first-year courses, however could successfully gained 16 on MP1. His group was
evaluated so high not because of good study performance of group mates, but because they had two
local Belgian students who easily reached an agreement with venue and sponsors due to language
proficiency and relationships. In contrast, interviewee 3 obtained 12 out of 20 even if he excellently
passed all first-year courses. The interviewee said that it was due to inefficient allocation of group
member. Their group did not have any local student and they faced a problem with finding sponsors
as no one spoke French or Dutch. Consequently, MP1 assessed not the actual skills of students
regarding to the knowledge obtained in KU Leuven but the luck of a student and with which members
is the person assigned with. Findings do not imply that the course itself is useless, but the focus was
more on assessing how well students can collaborate, negotiate and make arrangements. Therefore,
the effectiveness of curricular integration is in doubt.

However, the results are more positive than expected. Remaining 8% of interviews found out that
they indeed applied some knowledge from Financial Accounting 1 /2 and English courses.
Interviewee 19 said that knowledge from Financial Accounting helped one of the groupmate to
prepare a financial report. Interviewee 23 stated that academic writing taught during English classes
had a huge impact on the grade obtained for MP1 course. They applied writing skills to prepare
informative and literate proposals for sponsors, as well as for the writing of the final paper.

Curricular integration would become more effective if the task assigned to the student during MP 1
course was lined up directly to other first year courses like Mathematics, Financial Accounting, etc.
 9

During the second year, Management Project 2 (MP2) covers majority of second year courses, such as
Personnel & Organization, Management and Financial Statement Analysis. What is studied during
these courses is directly related to the tasks of MP2, therefore students are applying theoretical
knowledge in practice. It is, therefore, advisable for MP1 to provide valuable theoretical knowledge
which student had to apply in real life.

Following on with the theoretical background obtained in classes, in this part of the report it will be
about their own personal knowledge. It is interesting to mention that the interviewees were divided
into three different categories of how adequate their own theoretical backgrounds are; sufficient,
semi-sufficient, and insufficient.

The first category is the ones with sufficient background. 32% (8 out of 25) of the interviewees
mentioned that they had enough knowledge to complete MP1. There were several reasons as to why
they thought they had the perfect skills to succeed in a project. One of the interviewees had already
started a business before, so he had already an experience of organizing events. Some others had
previous insights of what exactly must be done to obtain the best results for the perfect event. In
addition, their basic knowledge was sufficient to allow them to organize and plan MP1. For instance,
interviewee 6 mentioned, “Yes, it was sufficient because I was always busy planning and organizing
events before university”. This created personal skills to be developed and attain new set of
information before starting KU Leuven. So, when Interviewee 6 was put into a group, the skills and
experiences were there. In that sense, interviewee 6 had what it takes to help the team and carve the
road for them to increase their own personal skills and learn more about the society. Interviewee 12,
for example, didn’t have many experiences as interviewee 6, but as stated “my school always had
multiple councils that you would join and have to create events. One council could have over 1000
people in it.” This shows that the school prepared them for universities and real-life businesses in
general and so it created a dynamic and a supportive social life for Interviewee 12. Other illustrations
are Interviewees 4 and 10. They have already experienced these kinds of projects because they have
attended another bachelor before coming to KU Leuven so they were capable of performing it.
Nonetheless, they mentioned that even though they had an experience and basic knowledge from
before, workshops and professors helped to expand their insights more and filled any lacking gaps
that they were not aware of before. As was said before by a few of the experienced interviewees that
even if we had the experience, there is always room for improvement.

In the second category, it had to do with students who have had experience in some areas, but lacked
in other domains. In this region, 28% (7 out of 25) mentioned their semi-sufficient skills. On one side,
their beneficial attributes played a huge role in helping out their team and themselves. Some
interviewees mentioned that because of high school they have had some skills manifested into them
by doing projects, presentations, and marketing their clubs in schools. In that sense, they developed
some skills in specific areas that assisted them later on in MP1. Others mentioned that because they
were given parts that they were best at, they achieved greatly on it. However, if given another part
they would be completely underperforming in it as they do not possess adequate knowledge in that
region. For some of the interviewees who believe that they are talented and interested in certain
 10

aspects of the project reported that they devote most of their efforts only into that particular part. For
instance, “I really love planning events, in which I would consider myself as a planner” and “I am so
into organizing stuff, so I feel that I am sufficient in these areas,” were stated by interviewees 18 and
23, respectfully. On the other side, they had a lot of lacking and unfilled gaps that must be enclosed.
With the help of the coaches and the workshops, they were able to start working on the project with
the addition of their personal experiences and basic knowledge. Because some of the members were
given unfamiliar roles, they had to search for and develop new skills. In regard to that, they had to go
out of their way to divulge into new aspects and manifest new discovered experiences.

The last category had the highest percentage between the three groups. 40% (10 out of 25) of the
interviewees mentioned that they were insufficient at that time and that it was a great experience,
nonetheless, it was a big project for the first-year students. The majority stated that they neither had
previous experiences nor prior knowledge. They had to go out, learn everything by themselves and
develop skills on their own. It was mentioned that although professors and workshops were present to
assist, it did not help the students and they had to research all of the work by themselves. Moreover,
students highlighted that if they were facing hardships, the university did not make sufficient effort to
help them. As mentioned above, the theoretical knowledge given in classes was not useful in any way
that could have helped them to start on a steady road further on in the project. “No, my knowledge
was insufficient. I didn't have any prior knowledge at the time. I learned by doing it”, “Sometimes, the
information itself was insufficient and so I always went and I asked the coaches and I always had the
Internet. Going out, though, like sponsors and charity weren’t taught in classes”, and “the present
information was insufficient, but there was teamwork to help each other out”. These were some
references that were expressed in the interview by interviewees 11, 16, and 9, respectfully.
Interviewee 20 stated that it would have been more efficient to have MP 1 in the second year.
Interviewee 20 believes that this approach would have been more systematic and well-planned. In
addition, interviewee 15 mentioned that because it was beyond most first year students’ abilities, the
university realized that and changed it for the present first year students.

4.4. Results related to the sub-problem “Is there a relationship between a student’s perception
of the level of classroom interaction and academic performance?’

Table 1A. Ranking of the Classes by the Level of Interactivity of Year 1 (calculated as a percentage
of students’ vote)

Subjects Least Interactive Most Interactive

Psychology 8% 12%

Management 68% 0%

Introduction to Law 8% 4%

Mathematics 12% 36%

 11

Management Project 1 0% 12%

Financial Institutions & Markets

12% 8%
(Theory)

Financial Institutions & Markets

12% 12%
(Algebra)

Statistics 4% 16%

Accounting 4% 16%

French 0% 12%

German 0% 4%

Research Methods 4% 20%

Economics 4% 4%

English 0% 16%

Philosophy 16% 4%

As shown in the table 1A:

● Mathematics 36% (Most interactive classes in year 1)

The data illustrated shows that the majority of the participants agreed that Mathematics was the most
interactive course. The professors used interactive learning techniques such as encouraging students
to present solutions on a board and asking subject related questions. Despite the fact that Mathematics
is perceived as the most interactive and engaging class, most of the students failed to pass a course
from the first attempt. The reasons behind that is a high level of difficulty of the course and a poor
exam structure. Nevertheless, students report that active learning in classes expanded their horizons
and provided a deeper understanding of the subject, allowing them to succeed in the third examination
period.
● Management 68% (Least interactive classes in year 1)
The data illustrated shows that as mentioned below, most students failed in passing Management
from the first trial. It was stated by interviewee 16, “even though we had assignments last year, there
were no engagement in the lecture. When I went to ask her question, she didn’t even know which year
I am in. She does not support students enough and is very demotivating in the way she teaches.”
The major proportion of students who have failed Management did not get constructive feedback
from the professor. Although less than 50% of the students succeeded in the course, they still report
that they struggled with the understanding of the course. For example, as stated by one of the
interviewees, “I barely passed management.”
 12

Subjects Least Interactive Most Interactive

Financial Statement and Analysis 28% 0%

French 0% 16%

English 0% 20%

Research Methods 0% 28%

Dutch 0% 4%

Marketing 24% 4%

Personnel & Organization 4% 8%

Statistics 4% 12%

Management Project 0% 12%

Table 1B. Ranking of the Classes by the Level of Interactivity of Year 2 (calculated as a percentage
of students’ vote)

As shown above in the Table 1B:

● Financial Statements & Analysis (Least interactive class in year 2)

Through the data findings, it was apparent that most interviewees voted for Financial Statement
analysis as the least interactive subject. This is probably due to the fact that the professor usually
resorts to just standing and talking for the entirety of the lecture. Also, the interviewees have
mentioned that even though the professor solves exercises in class, she is not very responsive to the
students’ questions. Furthermore, the professor doesn’t try to listen to the students’ demands in class,
which makes them feel demotivated to participate in class. The one-way communication rids students
of their interactive spirit and doesn’t help them feel part of the class community.

● Research Methods (Most Interactive in year 2)

Through the data findings, it is clear that most students found Research Methods as the most
interactive course in year 2. This is probably due to the fact that the professor tries to make the class
engaging and interactive as much as possible. When asked why did you choose Research Methods as
the most interactive subject, mostly it was answered that it is because of the daily assignments.
Several interviewees mentioned that the existence of the discussion forums and quizzes helps them in
not only their grades, but also in their socialization and interaction with their professor and their
fellow peers. Especially with the discussion forums present, it allows students to research and
discover new topics. In addition, it expands students’ knowledge and allows socialization in the eye of
observing other perceptions. In light of that, it depots the idea of student-focused lecture, which opens
a passageway for both the professor and the students to meet halfway.
 13

When the interviewees were asked if interaction in class made them more engaged and helped in the
preparation for the exams, the majority of the responses were positive. If professors are engaging and
interactive, they make their students feel obliged and motivated to learn the material. In addition,
when students have a possibility to contribute to the discussion in class, they will not only improve
their understanding of the subject but also of their group mates through sharing their knowledge.
Moreover, discussions have proven to reduce the level of alienation amongst the students. However,
interviewee 10 stated that it depends more on a student’s perception of the class rather than its level of
interactivity. If students are interested in a subject, they are more likely to join discussions and even
ask their professors for additional information. Thus, such teaching technique as a high level of
interaction in class does not guarantee a student will be motivated enough. Another example on
relationship size of classroom and in-class cooperation comes from both interviewees 3 and 5. They
mentioned that classroom of big size negatively affect interaction between professor and students.
Students might feel embarrassed when speaking in front of a large group. Professors may encounter
some difficulties with students’ engagement as it is hard to control discussions and give a feedback to
the students. The classes with a smaller capacity hence create a more comfortable environment for
sharing thoughts on course material and speaking freely.

4.5. Results related to the sub-problem “Does continuous assessment have an influence on
students’ habit of monitoring their learning progress and level of alienation?”

Table 2. Evaluation of students’ level of self-monitoring

Total score
expressed by the Total score in
Score interval Level
number of percentage
Students’ students
monitoring of 16 64% 0 Absent
learning 3 12% 1 Low
progress 4 16% 2-3 Medium
2 8% 4 High
0 0% 5 Very high

Interviewees were also asked about whether they monitor learning progress efficiently and how
would they rate it on a scale from “1” to “5”, with “5” being very efficient. This question was
prepared in order to identify the effect of continuous assessment on students’ habit of monitoring their
learning progress. Table 2 demonstrates that 16 out of 25 participants do not make any recordings
regarding to study progress and only 8% consider themselves as being highly efficient. This is related
to the fact that KU Leuven does not make tracking of students’ attendance during the classes. “If In
high schools learning progress was monitored by teachers or principals, as students were given graded
home works, weekly or monthly assignments, it was easier to keep tracking of your learning
efficiency. However, now it became more complicated as attending classes is not mandatory, as well
as majority of courses are graded entirely at the end of the semester”- said interviewee 3. This implies
that majority of students do not yet feel responsible for planning and organizing their time for
 14

studying efficiently. However, it does not mean that these 64% start preparing only two weeks before
an exam session. In KU Leuven’s curriculum, there are courses that include weekly submission of
works which have an impact on the final grade, such as Management, Financial Institutions &
Markets and Research Methods. These deadlines allow students to keep daily tracking of their study
and not to lag behind the course material. Despite of weekly tasks, students still find it complicated to
efficiently monitor learning progress because of external factors like being tired after lectures, having
part time jobs and other activities. However, remaining 9 interviewees said that they indeed make
daily recordings by keep tracking of what is already done and what needs to be done in a specific
period of time. Interviewee 4 said that she is preparing a list of tasks for a particular week and tries to
stick to the plan. Sometimes she intentionally misses some classes, but covers missed lecture at home.

Lastly, to enhance teaching techniques of the university and to understand the teaching system, there
should be a focus on the relationship between continuous assessment and students’ learning progress.
A few students were asked to explain whether midterm exams, specifically the Mathematics midterm,
helped them reveal their mistakes and prepare better for their finals. According to the data, 44% (11
out of 25) of the students interviewed revealed that they actually really benefit from the midterm
system. The main reason for that was that the interviewees thought midterms helped divide the work
for them, so they would not have to study all topics before the final exams. Interviewee 8 mentioned
that “it was good... it was better to break it up, so you didn’t have to study so much at the end of the
semester.” This shows that since students of the BBA program have to study so much at the end of
each semester, it is very likely that shedding off some of the topics for the finals can help ease their
stress and help them focus more on a few topics rather than being swarmed with work. Another
reason that was frequently mentioned by the interviewees is that the Math midterm helped them
obtain extra points that were added to their final grade. It helped interviewee 4, for instance, stress
less since she stated that “she is happy about it because it spread the grades she could take,” which
highlights the claim that giving students midterms can be a great help for them, so they could avoid
the pressure of ‘betting’ their whole grade on one exam. Moreover, a few other interviewees
explained that the Math midterm was of great use when trying to learn from previous mistakes and
understand the professor’s grading system. Since most students in the BBA program are international
students that come from a non-Belgian educational system, it is important for them to understand the
grading and educational system of the university through midterm examinations like the Math
midterm. Interviewee 10 described this by saying that the midterm “definitely” helped him prepare for
the final, and he added by saying “it was also my first Math in English, so I wanted to know how my
professor graded.” This allows people to understand the importance of preparatory or midterm exams
for international students who have just started at KU Leuven and are trying to understand the system.

Through the data collection, on the other hand, it was understood that the other 56% of the
interviewees agreed that the Math midterm was of little-to-no help with preparing for the finals. Most
of these interviewees agreed that even though the midterm helped ease the burden when it came to
preparing for the final exam, it was not of great help since the content of the midterm was way
different, and there was also a big gap between the difficulty levels of the midterm compared to the
final exam. As interviewee 7 mentioned, “the midterms were way easier than the actual exam, so it
 15

was not that helpful.” This is most likely the case because a few students mentioned they could not
foresee their results or link their study performance to the Math midterm since not only did the exam
contain only one ‘basic’ topic, but there were also no detailed feedback sessions that helped students
understand their study position. A potential solution to that problem would be a ‘midterm week’
where professors would test students on material that would actually reveal their real study progress.
Also, students would take time off classes to focus on their midterms and try to improve their study
efficiency. Finally, the university should also make an effort to hold more detailed feedback sessions
for the students to be able to benefit from their professors’ advice.

5. Discussions and conclusions

The results indicate that KU Leuven’s block learning community is effective in reducing alienation
for the majority of the students, thus confirming the theory that attending classes in cohorts leads to
increased interaction in class (Tinto, Godshell, 1993). As the feeling of belonging is cultivated,
students’ fear of judgement decreases and they are more open to collaborative learning. It was also
found that in-class activities such as debates improve the relationship between students due to the
concept of shared knowledge and motivation. However, this cannot be applied to all students because
of due individual factors. Students who tend to be introverted struggle with integration despite having
the same group or the level of interaction in class. Therefore, the learning community at KU Leuven
should not only include more active learning techniques, but also be adapted to different types of
personalities.

The data findings show that team projects improve both academic and social skills, but at the same
they may be ambiguous in terms of alienation. Group work encourages students to share ideas, learn
from each other, and even become friends, which is one of the main goals of a learning community.
On the other hand, pressure of task difficulty raises the chance of quarrels inside the group. This
results in a separation of team members and consequently their social isolation. In this case, more
assistance and coordination from coaches would be appreciated. Also, students might experience
alienation because of random assignment of team members in MP1. Working with unknown people
creates an uncomfortable environment and leads to numerous misunderstandings. In spite of
complaints on MP1 organization, it would be hard to find team-mates right at the beginning of the
academic year in a new society which would also increase the level of alienation among students.
Therefore, KU Leuven actually supports their students and helps to avoid feeling of social isolation.
However, students still can have a sense of powerlessness as they cannot fully control their study
process.

According to the results, active learning has a big influence on students’ engagement in class and
their academic achievement. Correspondingly, the absence of interaction with teachers results in such
dimensions of alienation such as meaninglessness and social isolation. When a teacher is not open for
discussions and does not provide feedback and support, students perceive course material irrelevant
and meaningless. Such demotivation in a subject may lead to bad examination results. Without
interaction in class a student might not feel accepted into a learning community, and thus isolated.
 16

Therefore, different aspects of active learning as debates and discussions in class not only eliminate
alienation, but also increase academic performance of the students.

The result of the study illustrates a relationship between three variables such as alienation,
continuous assessment, and academic performance. It was found that assignments and midterm exams
positively affect students’ habit of monitoring study progress. Firstly, based on the grades of the
midterm exams students can reflect on their mistakes and change their approach to learning.
Secondly, deadlines motivate students not to lag far behind and decreases the amount of material to
study before the final exam. However, a method of continuous assessment is ineffective at KU
Leuven as it is used only in a small proportion of classes and the feedback provided by professors is
not always helpful. It is, therefore, advisable to introduce either compulsory attendance or use
continuous assessments on a regular basis at KU Leuven.

However, there are limitations that may distort the accuracy of the research. Firstly, the statistical
significance of the correlation between fail rates and level of interactions in class could not be
checked with Pearson correlation test due to unavailability of data. Thus, the findings of the study are
based only on the qualitative analysis, increasing the risk of subjectivity in the interpretation of the
results. These factors imply that the reliability of the results is undermined. Another limitation of the
study is a short time frame, which did not allow to use random sampling and obtain a representative
sample. There is a possibility that convenience sampling resulted in all students in the sample being
under-performers or have introverted tendencies, while the majority of KUL students could be the
opposite. Lack of control over confounding variables leads to low external validity as the results
cannot be generalized to the whole population. Finally, the chosen method of data collection is also a
subject to interviewer bias as the interviewer could influence on the respondent’s answers. This
distorts the outcome of the study and the internal validity.

Impact of learning communities on students’ social wellbeing along with a problem of alienation
and poor academic performance have been explored from multiple perspectives in numerous
researches. However, the relationship between an important practice of continuous assessment,
monitoring of the learning process, and alienation is still not certain. The absence of assignments
combined with voluntary attendance results in increased level of alienation as students do not attend
classes but only exams. However, it is only a hypothesis made on the basis of the feedback of KU
Leuven students. This area requires further investigation in order to prove if there is a strong
correlation between alienation, continuous assessment, and non-mandatory attendance. Furthermore,
different ways of learning communities’ improvements are only discussed from the perspective of
people with extraverted types of personality, whereas introverts may feel uncomfortable in such an
environment. It is, therefore, necessary to make an in-depth research for including individual
differences when establishing learning community practices.

In conclusion, this research studied the relationship between KU Leuven’s learning community and
student alienation. In general, the findings confirm previous research in this area, indicating that poor
learning community leads to a feeling of isolation among students. The results are contrary to the
 17

hypothesis as KU Leuven’s learning community has proven to be successful in reducing alienation.

The most effective techniques were found to be attending classes in cohorts, group projects, and an
active learning curriculum. Although a minor proportion of students fail to develop a sense of
belonging, it is not within the university’s scope of influence as there are individual factors such as
personality type. However, the study highlights that there is still room for improvement. KU Leuven
teaching techniques should include continuous assessment and compulsory attendance as it positively
affects the learning community and academic achievement.
 18

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Annex

Link to the interview transcripts and audios:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1imqevKk8uUGcw419eJEE46r7LI2cvgH5